I write about creativity and design.

He's here! Solfinn Koseli Cummings was born August 12. We're just over two weeks into having him here with us, but it feels like he's always been here. He's a super cuddly, sweet baby and luckily for us, still in the sleepy newborn stage. Adjusting to four kids has not been easy but we're really grateful to our friends and church community for bringing us food, taking our kids to the park, and just generally being awesome. My parents also drove 12 hours to be here with us for a couple weeks. There's nothing I love more than watching my friends and family love on my kids. It's been a really special couple of weeks.

I'll be taking a break from freelance copywriting and content strategy to enjoy my time with my family for several more weeks, but I did register for Alt Summit 2019. Are you going too? I can't wait. I'll be accepting client work again beginning October 1 but you're welcome to email me anytime at koseli@koseli.co. You can also follow along with me at @koswriter on Instagram and subscribe to my podcast about creativity, tech, and motherhood, Little Things, wherever you love to listen to podcasts.

I'm excited to share I'm now a contributing writer over on the Munchkin blog. I'll be writing about parenting, life with three (almost four!) kids, and my favorite practical baby and kid gear. You can see my first post here: 7 Ways to Get Your Kids in Nature More. Stay tuned for posts on my favorite sippy cups, what's in a mom's diaper bag with 3+ kids, and what it's like having four boys.

Pleasantly surprised and proud to find this on the Munchkin homepage today. Kudos! Thank for standing up for family values.

I'm so excited to share my recent work with Tubby Todd Bath Co. The summer edition "Tubby Tropics" is now available on Tubbytodd.com. I worked on naming, bottle copy, social media campaign, shoot lists, and email marketing. I feel so lucky to work with such an amazing team!

My favorite scent is Pineapple & Passionfruit Hair and Body Wash. It smells light but super tropical. Tubby Todd's All Over Ointment healed my son's eczema (red spots all over his belly) overnight so we're huge fans over here. I don't just work for them. I buy their products and tell every mom I know about them. They smell better than any other natural soaps and lotions I've used and have the best customer service ever. We're definitely a TT family now. You can try it all here.

We had so much fun at West Coast Craft a couple weekends ago. We went early, hit up Tartine Manufactury (no line + most delicious pastries ever) and wandered around Fort Mason to see West Coast Craft.

I was a little nervous about tackling a weekend craft fair with three little kids, but it was actually okay! I think going early was key. The booths were beautiful and we had so much fun meeting several of the business owners there. Then we headed upstairs to the Mother Lounge when the boys got restless. They drew, put on too many Tattlys, and played in the teepee. We even happened to get a few shots in front of Alcatraz taken by @modernkids. We felt so lucky. Definitely going again next year.

One of my favorite things is Amazon Prime. (You too?) I wish I didn't love it so much, but I do. (You too?) A couple of months ago, I was prepping for the second birthday party in a month and realized I needed something that could dazzle toddlers until they were weak in the knees. Enter rotating multi-color disco ball thing. It's much better than I'm making it sound.

I bought and it received it the next day. I love technology! We pulled it out for the Monster Mash Toddler Dance Party a few weeks later and it was a hit. But, it's the impulse purchase that just keeps giving. (Never thought I'd say that.)

When the sun sets at 4:30 mid-winter and there's not another adult to be seen for another four hours, this rotating bulb becomes the Light you've always hoped for, but didn't know existed. Plug it in and you've got an impromptu dance party happening. It never fails to cheer us all up and get us through dinnertime, bathtime, and the full bedtime routine with fewer wiggles and less crying (hopefully). It can motivate the mopiest little one to help clean up or play with their sibling. Throw in some Bieber or Timberlake and everything is A-ok once again.

Bless this house, little disco ball thing. Do you have any Amazon impulse purchases that have gone so right? It's the best.

Cute Boys Clothes Do Exist is an ongoing series on OAC. See Wolfechild and Avarca Pons. Some readers have asked where I buy the clothes for my boys so I'm sharing that here. I don't mean to be pretentious, know-it-all, or alarmingly basic by sharing these details. Truthfully, we're often dressed as ragamuffins and just happy we make it out of the house. But I do love the hunt for great kid's clothes and I know some of you do too! Hope you enjoy.

I follow a few different people on Instragram that shared when Arq launched, include Elle of SollyBaby. I was so excited to check it out but was kind of in sticker shock. However, more and more I've been choosing to buy higher quality children's items over cheaper clothes because if they last through my five year old, then they can get re-worn two more times over the next few years as his two younger brothers grow into his old clothes. It's a win-win-win. I also like my kids more when they're wearing cute outfits so occasionally the splurge is worth it for all concerned. :)

This Fall, Arq had a huge sale on their first run of clothing, their Fall collection. Which was amaaaaazing. If I had a little girl, I would have snagged up all those little dresses so fast. So I grabbed the painter's shirt because it's basically the toddler version of a shirt Keenan owns, the Oregon flannel, two pairs of green scout shirts (because hello), boxy baby tunic top, baby track shorts (cannot WAIT to see Sigge's rolly polly-ness in those bad boys), and a light blue baggy short. Our boys wear shorts year-round so we buy lots of shorts. The prices after the sale were similar to Target. Seriously. We've already received several of the items in the mail (in sweet packaging, with a little discount code if you send some feedback) and the quality is A+. We'll see how they hold up but I'm planning to use these clothes in our family pictures in a few weeks.

Thank you, Arq! Can't wait to see what's in that winter collection around the corner.

P.S. I emailed Arq with a couple questions and received the very BEST customer service. It was delightful. Loyal customer and brand evangelist 4 ever now.

My family and I love books, but are picky about what books we buy. I'm still all KonMari about stuff and Keenan is a designer and gets twitchy when books are eh. I love taking my boys to the library because we can try out any book we want, and then decide whether we want to buy it. But I do want the boys to own books they'll read and re-read for years to come. I love a well-written children's book with beautiful illustrations! In my dreams, I'd love to write a children's book one day.

I'm delighted to share a new-to-me board book by artist Wangechi Mutu. It's called What do you see?It's a contemporary spin on search-and-find children's books. Mutu has collaged a fantastical, vibrant world where objects are not quite what they seem. The book exemplifies a child's world: curiosity is everything. This book looks different than anything else in our library, and it's a great chance to explore and introduce collage. We may even do a companion activity with this book and collage with paper, leaves, figs, and rocks we've collected over the last few days. The book is published by Home Grown Books, a Brooklyn-based published. (You know I love that.)

It is an eco-friendly board book, which is perfect because our nine month old Sigge is realllly into chewing books.

I love knowing a bit more about the artist or author. It turns out Mutu was born and raised in Kenya and much of her work explores gender and racial identity. Her work is in museum collections around the world including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Beyond supporting such a talented artist, 5% of profits from this book will be donated to Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and birth safe for every mother. You can buy the book here.

*What do you see? was a gift but the opinions and book review are my own.

On January 14 at 1:22 PM I had our littlest boy, Sigge (pronounced Siggy). He is absolutely perfect and we're doing great. After weeks of all five of us home together, we've all settled into a semi-routine with the new baby in tow and Keen back at work. It's been the smoothest recovery and transition yet and I think it's mostly due to Keenan's glorious paternity leave. I can't say enough good things about that time we had together before/after the baby arrived. It's been wonderful.

I'll continue to share thoughts on motherhood as they pop up (and I get a chance to sit down and write them). I'm so glad you've stuck around. I hope to write a lot more this year. I'm feeling it.

I'm currently working on Sigge's birth story as a submission into a book. I'm really excited about it! So if you want more details, I'll be sure to share that in the future.I love hearing others' birth stories and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Recently a friend asked me what it feels like to be expecting our third child. (I'm now 25 weeks!) Lots of people have three or more kids (but fewer than most) and I don't feel like I'm uniquely capable of sharing what it's like because it's so different for everyone, but I do have a few thoughts now that some of the pregnancy fogginess has cleared in the second trimester.

1. It's awesome.

It's awesome just like it was the first time. I mean awesome in its purest sense; "causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear" Yep, conception, pregnancy, birth, and parenthood does all that. The first kick, the growing belly, all of that is just as amazing. What's been different is how fast it feels its going. It's flying by! I also haven't taken any pregnancy pictures of myself or journaled the pregnancy as much as the other boys. There's just more going on so I can't devote as much time to recording or "cute stuff" like I once did.

Haven't touched/probably won't touch a pregnancy or birth book. It's a beautiful thing to feel more confident and knowledge about how your body labors and what works for you when you deliver.

I do have the What to Expect app so I can show videos of the baby's development to my kids and track the baby's size. (I really wish there was a better pregnancy app out there.)

2. It's uncomfortable.

In every way, but not all the time. 62% of the time I do not think about being pregnant. I'm just doing my thing, as me, and honestly only remember that I am with child when somebody comments or I'm doing something otherwise normal and it's more difficult than it normally would be. (i.e. picking up a glass on the floor, buckling my sandals, carrying my two year old.) One of the strangest things about being pregnant is feeling like you haven't changed, but realizing that to everyone else, YOU'RE PREGNANT. It's the number one topic and commentary everywhere. It's mostly fine and fun and I don't care but sometimes I do feel like, Alright. I've had quite enough pregnancy talk.

It's also just more uncomfortable. Whereas I could fly under the radar (which I prefer) with Silas until about six months, I've been showing with this one since mid-first trimester. Pregnancy-related pain is just more, too. Back pain, leg aches, stiffness, bruised rib. It's all happening.

3. No one has tried to touch my belly.

I'm good with this. Maybe I have a little RBF this time around...?

4. Advice Magnet

Almost everyone offers advice. Old me used to care, new me laughs and only cares 2% of the time when it's hard to let that especially insensitive or stupid comment roll of your back. People mean the best and are just trying to relate. Sometimes they give legit good advice, so you never know. If I'm in the mood, I beg for advice and wisdom from friends who have 3+ kids. These people know things and I want in.

5. Nice Magnet

Almost everyone smiles, says congratulations, compliments my two boys, or says God Bless or Good luck or You've got your hands full or No girl? And frowns. (I'm very happy we'll have three boys, for the record. 200% okay with it)

6. It's easier asking for help.

Most people are overwhelmed at even the sight of two toddlers and a pregnant belly and are more than willing to do whatever to help you out. I get my groceries (Costco, Target, TJs, EVERYWHERE) carried out, UPS and FEDex guys carry packages in for me, etc. It saves my back and is a nice little way to bond with a store employee. :)

Our oldest is in preschool (Bless Preschool!) and we also participate in weekly park groups and a nature preschool. My friends are the best and we all like each other's kids so we help each other out during play dates, or a random afternoon. Mom friends and scheduled weekly activities for the win! I also love local Facebook groups and listservs for meeting people and hanging out.

7. You take care of yourself.

It's no one else's job to take care of your health (duh), but for some reason I've just let things roll before now. Now I say "no" as much as I need to, talk to my doctor often and never feel like I'm inconveniencing her to ask questions or email her, hold sleep as the holy grail and get a good fat chunk every night, buy giant pregnancy pillows, buy clothes that fit and flatter(questionable but trying!), read good books, and eat what sounds/feels good to me.

It's easy to forget that pregnancy is an ideal time for extra introspection, self-discovery, and self-nurturing. But for me at least, it's like I gain this sixth sense for what's important to me and what I want. There's more meaning in the every day things, and since my physical body is slowing me down a little, and my brain is sedated with hormones, I live in the small moments because I can'teven with more than that.

8. You savor it.

It could be the last time I'm pregnant. For every stage and in-utero development, I think about that and want to freeze it in my memory. The first time my oldest felt the baby kick. The first time he jumped in response to the boys'. The way I look and feel.

9. You know your baby.

Let's see if I can even write this without crying. The second I held Silas, I knew he knew me. And I knew him. He was crying like a little pink piggie and turned his head to me, stopped crying, and stared. Then snuggled against my neck. It was the same with Sondre. The nurses placed him right on my neck and chest and we just snuggled and loved each other, finally. Oh man. We already knew one another—we just happened to be meeting for the first time face to face. Circumstance, you know. I feel the same way with this baby boy. I feel him with me all the time and feel like we're just getting to know each other until our actual sit-down date in January. When we get real close, real fast. I cannot wait to meet this little guy.

10. You know it's a miracle.

Although we have had three healthy pregnancies and babies, we have experienced loss and high risk during the last four years. Anything can happen at any time and every day I am so grateful that this growing baby and I have made it another day. I can't even wrap my mind around how incredible it is that a woman's body can grow a child. It's the most miraculous, beautiful gift and I am honored to be pregnant with this little boy. *cue lots of kicks in my ribs*

Big fan of wooden toys—they don't have to be pale or white. We love color over here! These CandyLab Toys wooden cars are adorable. They were kind enough to send over the orange GT-10 and the boys loved it. Perfect gift for a three-year-old. The cars ship in 48 hours, are solid birch, and are classic beauties. Shelf 'em, or play with 'em.

Sat down and wrote this in one spell while the baby was sleeping. Felt so good to write. Thanks for sticking around even when I write more posts in my head then I publish. xo

Last week, I made a salad that would make angels sing. No, really. And it didn't even have bacon in it. Local market arugala, organic spring mix, really good olive oil, salt, pepper, and half a lemon's juice tossed together. If I'm feeling crazy, I slice heirloom tomatoes on the side, and throw in chunks of nectarine. AMAZING. Oh my gosh. It is magic. When I eat this salad, I feel like a freaking queen. This fact could either be incredibly depressing, or you could be a person like me who's not very good about sitting down and eating your vegetables. Or food you love. In a quiet place. On your own plate, with nice utensils, an icy drink, with greedy chubby fingers no where to be seen. You could be a mother.

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In the background of my mind I'm always chanting simplify, simplify, simplify but my legs and mouth are running. I'm torn between boundless energy and depleted self, trying to direct money and time and me towards the best possible people, places, things, preschool activities, playdates, family, brands, food, freelance, etc., etc. It's a lot. Raising kids is just a lot. But it's not just raising kids; it's doing everything else you have to do on top of raising kids. And I have it so easy so I'm embarrassed to say it's challenging. If there's one thing I'm learning, and I'm only a few years in, it's that it's worth every ounce of fight, assertive push, "no", and amount of money to (re)assert your Self as a mother. You owe it to yourself. You're a person, you're awesome, you're somebody amazing regardless of your baby(ies). You love stuff, you deserve to love the stuff you love, you thrive when you follow your heart and do the stuff you love, and nobody can tell you you're bad, thoughtless, negligent, or wrong for doing just that. It's your life, your motherhood. Yours.

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I have a thing with salads—I love them, but I've never been able to make a good one. I'll make it but it's got a million things in it and I get a few bites in and I'm like, Ugh, I kind of just want a quesadilla. It's a texture thing. It's a tired thing. (Pretty tired to be too tired to chew celery?) But then I found my new signature salad, this arugala and mixed greens with a light lemon vinaigrette and I feel so good. I feel like I found the salad I'll be serving at dinner parties for the rest of my life. I'll never have to think about what kind of salad to make, because I'll know: the arugala and mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette. It's exactly what I like, I stand 200% behind my salad, and I feel really good about feeling disproportionately passionate about a stupid salad. I love my decision that much.

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More and more I'm realizing it's so much more about weeding out the stuff you never wanted in your salad in the first place. If you feel you've retreated, side-stepped, or even disappeared behind more colorful happenings or bigger personalities or trying toddlers or a body you don't know or friends you once had or ideas that stretch, now is the time. It's your time. Step up now. Laugh to yourself when you sit down to the most beautiful, colorful, delicate salad when you feel full and good and You. You did it. You're doing it. You do you, mama.

We've started a new tradition of evening walks on the weekend. We'll walk along a local path, picking flowers, talking, yelling at Si to slow down on his scooter. :) We've always been a "let's go for a walk" couple, especially while living in New York City since that was the best thing ever. Now that we live in the Bay Area where it's warm enough for walks all year, it's really fun to grab our kids, put them in our double stroller, and walk. I love looking at the amazing houses, the creative yard art, and the incredible gardens. It's really all a ruse to get our kids some fresh air + make them tired = so we can have a conversation. But it's family time too. :)

Do you go on family walks too? Does your neighborhood have great walking paths? I'm all about walkability these days.

We've had several visitors over the last few weeks and it has been so wonderful. Seeing our kids with their grandparents, their uncles and aunts and cousins. Oh man. It wasn't the whole family but just having a couple sibs around makes me really happy. (I have six.)

We recently went to Muir Woods and Muir Beach with visiting family. It was gorgeous. It had rained the night before and it was early enough that there were very few people. We also snagged a front row parking spot so my grumpy driving heart was very happy. We did 3/4 of the loop, soaking in the quiet and the smell of pine and wet earth. Mountains and forest are my jam. I'm considering trekking there with the boys alone to wander and hike.

Just like two million other people around the world, I've recently read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. (On my Kindle. Oh, how I love my Kindle Paperwhite. Future post coming on my conversion to e-readers.) And just like so many other people, I read it and wanted to throw everything away. Not really, but kind of. I'd sneak a chapter during a car nap, or ten chapters before bed, and find myself getting twitchy from wanting to jump in, pull everything out from under my bed, unearth hideous packed-away clothes from under the stairs, throw out half my kids' toys, finally get rid of that print hung downstairs that we all hate but never take down. It's strange to think we know we don't like something, and every time we see it, it bothers us, or doesn't work for us, and yet we still use it. Whether it seems unnecessary (a doodad on the mantel) or necessary (specific architecture in the apartment you're renting that you can't change).

The fireplace in the living room.

Marie (KonMari) Kondo is an organization guru. She's Japanese and lovely and cute. Seriously. I want to be her. I mean LOOk!) Marie's argument for "tidying" in her prescribed manner is like a "whole" cleaning process. Instead of a certain brand of organizer in your bathroom, or a placing things according to flow in your house, or focusing on only owning three things, she's all about methodically, mindfully holding each thing you own in your hands and asking yourself whether it sparks joy. She believes that the easiest way to keep your house tidy, is to only keep the things you love. (You also group things according to categories.)

Entryway.

It's minimalist living that allows the things you love. You start the sorting process with your clothes, bags, shoes, and accessories and end with mementos and miscellany. Not only is it a time investment (I've invested 20 hours in 3 days), it's an emotional and mental practice in centering yourself and confidently saying what you want. "Yes" I love this green t-shirt from high school track, or "No", I always hated this stupid book but I felt like I could never get rid of it because stupid abc gave it to me. Totally unemotional stuff like that. It feels really good if you get off on being all bossy and confident to inanimate objects by your lonesome.

Glimpse of our kitchen.

But honestly, the process has been fun(!), exhilarating, freeing, fun(!!), budget-friendly as I've sold stuff, and stressless. The more I give away, sell, or throw away what I know I don't use or need, the more I want to give away exactly what I don't love and cherish. All around. Throwing away, giving away, and gifting your belongings is fulfilling. When I see someone pull up and grab that lamp I put on the sidewalk with a FREE! sign, I feel so good. Use that lamp! Love that lamp! I'm free of that lamp forever! Now you don't have to go to Ikea with your kids and feel like you need three days to recover! Yay!

As an overly sentimental, oft frugal, admittedly picky, and quite vain person, it's hard to get rid of things but it gets easier. I also admit I've tried to get rid of a few things that were not mine (ahem) and realized that's not how this goes. No one can force you. If you read the book, you're already interested in decluttering and simplifying your life. You can't force anyone else to do that. However, you can totally force your kids to do it, especially if they're 3 and 1 and have no idea. They have so much less now! Clean drawers, clean closet, 1/4 the toys. It feels so good and their room is infinitely easier to clean.

Master bedroom.

Basker's table desk in the master bedroom.

A few thoughts:

1) If you have kids, there's deep organizing you can do with them around and some you just can't. Think about what you'll need to be focused on, and the stuff you can do where you can hear screaming, crying, I'm thirsty, etc. and be cool. I was cool with noise when I organized half the bathroom, all the linen closets, and the kitchen cupboards. Not cool with any part of my room or the lower kitchen cupboards. (Too many chemicals and hazards.) I had a babysitter take the boys to the playground for a long stretch, or I worked in the early morning, evening, or during Sondre's nap while Si is at preschool. I was 100% motivated. I'd also add that she says you should do the clean as intensely as possible, consecutively. I couldn't do that because of the boys but I made it work for me. I honestly wish she would have written more about what to do about the kid's situation. Kids are the opposite of tidy, but we don't want to get of them. What do we do?

The boys' room.

2) Get ready for the day. Get up, get dressed, then start cleaning. I love in the book that Kona says that when she goes to a client's house, when she first enters, she bows to the house. She feels what it's energy is like and respects the house. She also dresses up as a way to respect the process. I got so much more done when I showered, put on make-up, popped in the ol' contacts, got dressed in my favorite clothes, and ate a really good breakfast. It was an event and the whole family knew it was serious business. Respect THE CLEAN, y'all.

3) I'm only 75% done with my purge. I still have to sort through my books, jewelry, office desk drawers, all our food and pantry, and go through two boxes that house everything from my childhood that I brought back with me at Christmas. I already threw away five trash bags in Utah, but I think I'll be throwing a little more away. As a treat for myself in the process, and because unearthing so much stuff made such a huge mess, I hired cleaners to deep clean our house. It feels amazing. It's helped me realize how much I have accomplished so far and how wonderful the process has really been, without completely exhausting myself. It was worth every penny. (You could use the money you make from selling unused items to pay for the cleaning?!)

4) Apparently Ms. Kondo has a Japanese reality show surrounding her method?! My mind is blown.

5) I'm scared to fold everything like she suggests. Up and down, not flat like we all do. Anybody do it and have success? Even socks and underwear?!

7) How did we make it through a one bedroom apartment with four people and STILL have stuff to throw out? I do not understand. But here we are.

Anybody else read the book? Want to geek out about it with me? I'd love to hear your experiences. Comment below or tweet at me. I think I want to be a professional organizer now and just throw junk out.

I'm excited to share that I'm now a contributing writer for Red Tricycle San Francisco! Yeah! I'll be sharing articles here and there featuring the best things to do in the Bay Area. Red Tricycle is like a digital city guide for parents: where ever you live or visit or vacation, you can pull up the best tips and ideas of what to do with your family. I used Red Tricycle New York all the time when we lived in Brooklyn. The events and destinations they shared seemed much more up my alley and the design of the site makes it super easy to find what you're looking for, or just browse for something on a specific date. I'm really excited to be working (figuratively) alongside their small, amazing team based in SF. They're a start-up and I love their company culture.

I'll occasionally link to my articles here and on my Facebook and Twitter for any readers who are local. Thanks for following along, friends. I'm excited for deadlines!

I'm so excited about this! A Kickstarter trying to fund the production of these adorable circus-themed sewable electronic kits. They're called Cirkits. (You have to watch the video to see the whole circus of animals in their tent. So cute.) You can pledge $5 and get a Valentine's postcard, but you might as well give $30 because then you get a seal, mouse, and bear card and the conductive thread, LEDs, and batteries you need to make the animals light up and move. This would be such an awesome joy school activity or birthday surprise.

The boys are asleep and the house hums with the sounds of the dishwasher, Sarah Sample lullabies, and the train in the distance. Our house is always a little cold—single paned windows and what I guess to be zero installation in an old two story. I love this house. I want to do so much with it and at the same time I'm letting it settle. Figure out exactly what I want.

Si started preschool this week. A part-time set-up close to home with kind teachers, an indoor treehouse, and lots and lots of outdoor time. We picked him up in the sunny afternoon and I saw him before he saw me. He was talking with a little girl, perched on a bike much to small for him, his hair gelled and a peanut butter smear on his right cheek. He looked a little sun drunk, a look I know and love. (A signature Silas look when he's played outside long and hard, just the way I like it.) She was telling him something with persistence, he responded with confident staring and a few words I couldn't hear. Then, he glanced over and saw me, looked away, then looked again. It's like I could see him shifting worlds. His new 'school world' and his 'home world'.

All he's ever known is his home world. Keenan and I. And for the last year, Sondre. Friends have come and gone, apartments, playgrounds, cousins, even grandparents as we traveled and trekked the first three years of his life to pursue career opportunities. I'd like to think we helped him see a kind side of the bigger world—exploring New York City together since he was three days old. (Even the taxi ride to the hospital in active labor was exciting.) He's played on the carousel in Central Park, eaten chocolate ice cream under the The Brooklyn Bridge, chased pigeons in Strawberry Fields, learned to hold on just so on the subway. Not uncharacteristically, our move across the country hasn't been a big deal for him. He's adaptable, observant, and most of all, a really chill guy. But it all comes back to home.

Once, on an awful, awful mom day, where I yelled and cried and looked at the clock one million times, I saw Silas as a person. (A three-year-old person with no pants and chiclet teeth, but still, a person.) I realized that this is his whole world. This. Us. Our House. What we do at home. What he eats in the morning. His favorite show. His favorite grey lounge pants. Books. His blankets, his sippy cup, the toilet even. The way he likes to ring the doorbell and the bond he feels with our car. The things he learns at church, his friends, his observations that are never more than an armslength (it seems)—from me. From both of us. I was so ashamed. It's like I betrayed the sacred trust he and I had that it's about people first. Us. Us first. Then everything and everybody else after. It's love first and then everything else. I had forgotten that most important thing somewhere between hangry, bored distraction and mopey, self-inflicted creative unfulfillment.

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Now they share a room. Just yesterday I pushed their beds to nearly touching. Brothers. They sleep better together. We sleep better having them together, down the hall. (I get teary even saying brothers, gah.)Maybe sibling love will help fill in the parental gaps?

For 2015, my goal is People first, everything else after. I love changes and I know 2015 will bring many. I feel grateful for that. That my life is full enough that there are peaks and dips and things happening all the time. I love living like that. Keeps you on your toes. 2015 will be the Year of My People (<in big banner letters>). Also, I'm going to eat more vegetables (specifically leafy greens), become a blog or magazine contributor again(on the hunt!), and publish something(in print I hope!). I'm excited.

We love new tech. My husband works in the tech industry and we're both fascinated with the possibilities and opportunities tech innovation creates worldwide. Just like so many other parents, we walk the fine line between wanting our kids to embrace new devices and platforms for educational purposes and entertainment while still thriving as intellectual, socially capable kids and adults. I don't think those are mutually exclusive; but I do believe it is up to parents to know what works and doesn't work in your own home. At times we've felt that our oldest has a little too much screen time and we've looked for a way for him to enjoy the family iPad while still interacting with us. (Which doesn't happen so much when Netflix is streaming.) He's smart and curious and I want him to be playing games that engage and challenge him. (When I wrote a daily column for Design Mom, I often reviewed children's apps.)

I hadn't heard of Osmo before they reached out to me but I am really excited they did. Osmo is an iPad game for kids. They created a game that you can physically play while interacting with the iPad. You can play alone, or with a group. I love these types of products coming out. (Toca Boca Play Series was in the same vein. A kid's app creating physical products to be played with.) It was a little hard for me to understand until I watched Osmo's quick video of kid's playing tangrams on Osmo. (The video above.) It blew me away. Seriously cool. If you want to read more about the reflective AI technology (a.k.a magic) Osmo uses, I found this blog post helpful and interesting. You can create your own games and tailor them for the age of the child. We're surprising Silas with an Osmo for Christmas morning and he'll be playing with his cousins over the holiday break. I can't wait to report back on how the kids liked it. (They're age 2-11.) I'm pretty sure Keenan and I will be playing with it too.

So the super exciting thing is Osmo is giving away a free Osmo to a lucky Original Archiving reader. They just launched in Apple stores across the U.S. and Canada but some really lucky person is going to get one right here. The box includes the reflective mirror for the iPad camera, a white iPad stand; 2 sets of game pieces; and instructions for downloading 3 free apps in the App store. (It's worth almost $80!) To enter,

Update: The random winner was Joslynn Barton. Congratulations! Thank you so much to everyone who entered and shared OAC and Osmo!

2. Comment here with your name, email, and let us know what you like about Osmo, what game you're most excited to play, or who'd play with your Osmo.

3. Get one extra entry by following Osmo on Twitter here. (Leave another comment to let me know you did it!)

4. This contest is open to U.S. residents only.

I'll pick a winner randomly Wednesday, December 17, announce it here and on my OAC Facebook page and Twitter, and contact them directly. Yay! Good luck! Thank you, Osmo.

While Original Archiving tends to be a personal and design discovery blog, I'm frequently contacted for brand collaborations. I never feature anything I wouldn't buy myself. I am sometimes compensated with free product. For this specific giveaway, I was given an Osmo to use with my family.

He turned one in October, walked in November, pointed in December. Four teeth and a whisp of fluff. And I didn't write a thing. Me. The writer. Writer. The journal keeper. Everyone tells you how much busier you'll be when you have another but I've been living that flurry and haven't resurfaced to report just how true that is. The demands never end. If insanity is it to be avoided, then you have to dig deep and find some kind of lever so you can shut off your brain and be okay with everything around sitting half undone and a little behind. It's hard if you're a perfectionist; it's hard if you're not. It's hard if you work; it's hard if you don't. I feel like I'm constantly rallying myself—my own cheerleader, coach, shin guards, Neosporin. Never has anything taught me more self-reliance than being a mom. Most of the time I feel fine and feel like we're doing an okay job raising our humans. But some nights before bed I take the thought step by step until the weight of raising a couple chubby babies who are always with me turns into raising responsible children, then teenagers, then adults and on and on. The impossibilities, the fears of something happening to them, the things I lack or am not teaching them. There's not enough Rocky Road in the world to help me figure it out. I've already picked out a couple people I know for sure could raise my kids better than I can. The hope is that somewhere between the tantrums and the cartoons and the scrambled eggs all over the floor is a love that links what I lack and what they need. We can only hope.